wright



(No Model.) I e I 2 Sheets-Sheet W. HAND, M. C. WRIGHT & F. A. P-OCOCK.

ELECTRICAL SIGNAL DEVICE. N0.- 357,922.

Patented Feb. 15, 1887 Wiiwwsses. v i/57 (No Model.) v V 2 SheetsSh eet 2.

W. HAND, M. C. WRIGHT 8v F. A. POGOGK.

FLEGTRIGAL SiGNAL DEVICE.

No. 357,922. Patented Feb. 15, 1887'.

vg/jfi/QW Z 5. 757a Wm UNITED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM HAND, OF HAMILTON, AND MARCUS O. VRIGHT AND FRANCIS A. POCOGK, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

ELECTRICAL SIGNAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,922, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed February 27, 1886. Serial No. 193;.416. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, YVILLIAM HAND, pyrotechnist, of the city of Hamilton, in the county of entworth, in the Province of 011- tario, and MARCUS CoLBoUnNE VRIGHT and FRANCIS Aennw Pococn, both electricians, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have jointly invented an Improved Electrical Signal Device, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a device by which the dispatcher, telegraph-operator, or station agent on a railroad may attract the attention of all trains running between stations within his district and prevent trains colliding which may have been'wrongly directed or accidentally permitted to pass a station where they should have been detained; and it consists, essentially, in arranging on the line of the road a number of signals ar' ranged to be fired by electricity, preferably by sulphuric acid thrown into contact with a fuse by the action of an electrical device arranged and operating substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our electrical device and torch. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the torch and sulphuric-acid chamber. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of our signaling-torches between stations. Fig. 4 is an alternative form of the device shown in Fig. 1. M

In Fig. 3, Arepresents the terminal stations, B the intermediate stations, and C the signaling devices between them.

Our apparatus, as shown, is designed to operate, by means of an electric current, a device by which sulphuric acid is discharged upon a fuse made of material which will ignite when brought in contact with the sulphuric acid.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. l, a represents two torches side by sidc, and each provided with a detonating-cartridge, b. c is a chamber formed at the end of the cartridge, and into which the fuse d enters. e and f are cylindrical vessels designed to contain the sub phuric acid. As represented in the drawings, these vessels are in the position they will appear immediately after the first signal on the line-that is to say, one vessel, e, is in the act of discharging its contents into the hoppermouthed receiver g, which conveys the sulphuric acid into the chamber 0. vessel, f, is still held in a vertical position, waiting for the armature m to be released, when the arm j will be held by the lug i,and be in position for the next signal to be fired.

When the device is set the hook end of the 'arm h, attached to the vessel 6, is hooked behind the lug i, and the hook end of the arm j is behind the lug 70, both lugst' and in being formed upon the armature m, which is held from the magnet D by the action of the spring E. The moment that the operator depresses the key, either from one of the terminal or intermediate stations, the line F is charged from the battery, and the magnet D immediately attracts the armature m, pulling the lug i away from the arm h. Consequently-the vessel (2, actuated by the weighted arm a, is thrown into the position in which it is indicated in Fig. 1. Simultaneously with this action the lug 7c is withdrawn from the arm j, and the vessel f, actuated by its weighted arm 0, moves forward, but is caught from falling by the pin 19 coming in contact with the lug q, as indicated in Fig. 1. Vhen the circuit is broken by the next movement of the key, the spring E raises the armature m into its initial position, thereby carrying the lug q away from the pin 1), and allowing the lug i to catch the arm j. Then the vesself isin position to be thrown by the next depression of a key, sending a current along the line, causing it to dischargethe sulphuric acid in it into the receiver 9, thereby setting off the second torch and detonatingcartridge.

In Fig. 4 we show an alternative form, in which arrangement the vessels 6 and f are dispensed with, and the sulphuric acid contained within a glass ball, '1', is placed in the chamber a, and when the armature m is actuated, as before described, a pointed plunger, s, is released, so as to strike the glass ball, break it, and cause its contents to enter the chamber a.

The lugs z, k, and q are placed in the same The other manner and for the same purpose in the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 as in the arrangement exhibited in Fig. 1; but the arms h and j are connected to pivoted gates t, arranged to hold the plungers 5 back against their springs u until the armature m is caused to operate in the manner before described, when the plungers s are released in the same manner as the vessels e and f, the spring at for each plunger 8 being sufficiently strong to force the plunger forward with enough force to break the glass ball 1".

Vhen our device is constructed as shown in Fig. 4 apercussion-cap may be substituted for the glass ball T," which percussion-cap would be made to fire the torch a and detonatingcartridge b.

We have described our device to be operated by the battery being thrown onto the line; but of course it will be-understood that the same effect will be produced by simply reversing the mechanism where it is desired to employ a line constantly charged with batterypower, the signals in this case being made by breaking the current and not making it in the manner as we have explained. \Ve have also described sulphuric acid as the agent for igniting the fuse; but of course it will be understood that any acid or any chemical combination in connection with any material which will ignite would answer the same purpose.

' By providing a detonating-cartridge with the torch, we provide means for attracting attention to the alarm signal; but it will of course be understood that the torch may be used by itself, or a detonating-cartridge by itself. v

What we claim as our invention is 1. In a device for the purpose described, one

or more torches placed in proximity to the track, combined with an electrical device, an armature therefor, and an igniter or igniters for said torch or torches held by said armature and released to fire the torches by the vibration of said armature, substantially as described.

2. As a danger-signal for railroads, one or more torches arranged in connection with one or more detonating-cartridges placed in proximity to the track and connected to an electrical device by which each pair of torches and detonating-cartridges may be simultaneously fired from one or more points on the railroad.

3. The combination, with a torch or detonating-cartridge, of an open-ended vessel pivoted at its base, overbalanced by a weighted arm, and supported by the armature of an electromagnet, so that the charging of the magnet or the breaking of the current shall cause the armature to release the pivoted vessel and permit it to discharge its contents onto the fuse of said torch or detonating-cartridge, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4-. The combination, with a torch or detohating-cartridge, of an openended vessel pivoted at its base, overbalanced by a weighted arm, and supported by the armature of an electro-magnet, and an arm attached to the top of said vessel to engage lugs on said armature, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, February 17, 1886.

VVlLLlAM HAND. M. C. XVRIGHT. FRANCIS A. POCOGK. In presence ol' CHAS. O. BALDWIN, F. BARNARD FETHERSTONHAUGH. 

